James March x y/n

Rebirth

You awoke, everything felt... off

You panicked. You sat up and looked around

"Not a mark on your body"
James whispered

"How long have i been out?"
You asked

"Two days"
He replied
"Your... friends have taken over my hotel and plan to remodel"

"Shit, they need me"
You said
"I need to help them remodel, that would be so cool"

You got up out of bed, you were already dressed

You shrugged it off as being a ghost thing

"Being in this form will take a little getting used to"
James said, taking your hands in his
"But... you will get used to it"

He sighed

"I'm so glad we can.. really be together"
He beamed, his eyes lit up

"James, I'm gonna check on the others. They must be worried sick"
You said, you pulled his face into yours

He kissed you deeply, it was obvious that he missed you

"I love you too but i gotta get going. There's so much to do"
You pushed James away and walked to the elevator

-

You, Liz and Iris had completely remodelled the first two layers of the hotel. Now instead of the ugly yellow theme, it was a blue one. You and James had been given the room of the countess, she had seemingly disappeared and was nowhere to be seen

"Y/n, honey. We have a problem"
Liz sighed
"The ghosts are killing people! We need a meeting"

You called a meeting, almost every ghost had appeared

Liz tapped a glass

"Welcome! Thank you all for coming"
She said

"Excuse me!"
A ghost said, her name was Marcy and she kept to herself most of the time
"My understanding is that you three are in charge now, and if like to speak to you about changing my room"

"Your a ghost. You can choose any room you'd like"
You said
"But currently keep to the top floors, the first two are strictly for guests"

"Well.. yeah.. the problem is after i pick a room and then i settle in with my erotica novels, i never know if a guest is going to check in and disturb me. I know this is Los Angeles, but I'm an old-fashioned girl and i like my privacy"
She continued

"I dig it when the guests come in, it's like a free dirty movie"
A ghost named Stephen remarked
"I'm into that amateur stuff"

"Guys! What have i said about the top floors"
You said

"Are you three like a thing now?"
Sally asked the two Swedish girls and Stephen

"Ya. We tried dating the lumberjack, but he's gay."
Vandela, one of the Swedish girls said

"Okay- everyone, please listen!"
Iris said
"This is important, and it effects every single one of you"

"We would like you to stop killing the guests!"
Liz said

Everyone either groaned or laughed

"It's not all of you, but we are trying to build something special here. A real... destination"
She continued

"Look, they're gonna get two football teams down in Carson. That's twenty minutes down the 110"
Iris explained
"This place could be filled. But if it gets out that people are checking in and disappearing then obviously, that's bad for business"

"Screw you, Iris. You're the biggest killer in this room, you bloodsucker"
Will Drake said

"Maybe in the past. But every drop of blood i drink now is donated. Any murders that go on in this hotel are done by your kind"
Iris said

"Excuse me, but, what do you mean by "our kind"?"
Another Swedish girl asked

"Can we all just call a spade a spade and say you're talking about will and i?"
Sally said
"I mean, woo is too busy munching on Swedish fish to bother anyone. Marcy molests herself or complains all day. The lumberjack just mopes. And that hipster couple just trips about, moaning about the kale. James likes to watch everyone do things, especially his wife. Will and i are the only ones who still get off on a little bit of true mischief"

"And we're not stopping"
Will added
"Ending some jerk off who wastes the air that he breathes? That is the real high. I'm dead but I've never felt more alive"

James walked into the room, slow clapping

"Beautifully said, and i couldn't agree more"
He remarked
"But i must come down on the side of my wife and her friends on this issue"

"Oh, come on!"
Sally groaned
"You telling people to stop killing is like colonel sanders telling us to stop eating chicken"

"I'm not familiar with your military friend and his fondness for poultry, but my killing days are over. I thought the ten commandment killings were the beginning of my work, but it turns out that they are the epilogue. The fletch has been passed, and i feel complete"
James walked around the bar and stood next to you
"But this is a practical decision and not an emotional one. This is our home. Frankly, it's the only one we've got. None of us know what is waiting for us beyond this place if it no longer stands. Perhaps without these walls to protect us, we would all be forced to move on and face the judgement of our maker"

"If we can't stay in business, all the bets are off"
You said
"We have to sell, or get evicted."

"That's bullshit, i paid cash for this place!"
Will said
"My lawyers will keep paying the upkeep and the taxes for as long as they have the funds"

"Yeah, well that's not gonna take long, cowboy"
Iris said
"Sure your business was with a fortune when you were alive. But you're such a narcissist that you never brought anyone else in to design your lines and when you disappeared, they had zilch. Now the whole shithouse has gone up in flames, your stock is with pennies"

"That is bullshit! You're a goddamn liar"
Will shouted

"ENOUGH!"
James screamed
"This is not a democracy! We are not in the House of Lords! We are a ship at sea! And when it comes to you spirits, i am the captain and my wife is the first mate! SO LISTEN UP, MATEYS!"
He screamed with fury

"There are six criteria that the U.S Department of interior uses to determine if a place is worthy of being called an historical landmark. This hotel fits them all. The one thing it does not yet possess is time. Age. August 23, 2026. That will make it 100 years that this hotel has stood. And on that day, it will earn its rightful distinction as an historical landmark. They won't be able to tear it down even if they wanted to. The killing must stop!"
James ordered

"Oh hell no. Some of us can't go out into the world to find companionship, so I'm not gonna stop collecting souls until i find my soulmate"
Sally said

"Sally, i don't want to get rough with you, but you and i both know there is a way to get you to do as i please. Or do you not recall the last time you disobeyed me?"
James paused
"So, it's settled then"

Sally threw her glass at the wall

"The point of being dead is that there are no rules it's the only salvation. Who gives a shit if they tear this place down and send us all straight to hell? It can't be any worse!"
Sally yelled at James. She spat on the carpet and marched off

"Ew, first mate. There must be a better role than that"
You mumbled
"Anyway, you heard James! No more killing!"

Iris tapped you

"You have a phone, right?"
She asked

"No, i couldn't afford one"
You hummed

"I'll get you one so you can keep track with the outside"
She said

"Get Sally one, she'll love it"
You said

Iris nodded